Israel Expels 8 Palestinians Despite U.s. Protests

JERUSALEM -- Israel on Tuesday deported eight Palestinian activists to southern Lebanon, including six from the village of Beita, where a 15-year-old Israeli girl was killed two weeks ago.

It was the second deportation carried out by Israel in a little more than a week -- despite protests by the United States. Israel maintains that deportations are legal and necessary to restore order on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel has deported 20 Palestinians since the beginning of the Palestinian uprising more than four months ago. Four other Palestinians have been ordered deported and are appealing.

The Israeli Military Command said the eight deported had been inciting and organizing the anti-Israeli protests.

The military said the six from Beita organized and took an active part in the April 6 attack on a group of teen-age hikers.

The army said a group of villagers surrounded the Israeli youngsters outside Beita, forced them into the village and launched a stone-throwing attack on them.

One of the hikers, Tirza Porat, 15, was shot in the head and killed in Beita.

The Israelis said she was apparently shot when the rifle of an Israeli guard accompanying the teen-agers went off while he was struggling with Arab villagers who sought to seize the weapon.

One of the deportees, Mahmoud el-Gurub of Beita, was involved in grappling for the rifle and managed to grab it from the Israeli guard, Romam Aldubi, the military said.

Aldubi, knocked senseless in the clash, is still unconscious in a hospital.

Another Beita resident deported was Sari Hilal Hamail. The army said he threw stones at the Israeli youngsters and called on villagers to slaughter them.

Also among the deportees was Ghassan el-Masri of Ramallah, identified by the Israelis as an operative of the Al Fatah organization and one of the leaders of what the Palestinians call the intifada (uprising).

Another deportee was Ahmed Fauzi a-Dik, who served a prison term for anti-Israeli activity.

The eight were among 12 Palestinians against whom deportation orders were issued earlier this month. The eight began appeals procedures but called them off, saying they had no faith in Israeli justice.

There has never been a reversal of a deportation order by either an Israeli military review board or the courts.

In what has become a routine, the eight were transported by helicopter to southern Lebanon, to the area held the Israeli-backed South Lebanese Army.

They were given currency worth $50 each and placed in taxis for the ride to Beirut.